The CBR1100XX Super Blackbird is quite likely Honda’s flagship motorcycle and benefits from the full efforts of the legendary Japanese automaker’s research and development department. The original impetus behind this series of motorcycle was to exceed speeds of 300km/hr which may not be seen as classy these days, but back in the 1990s when more was never enough this bike was seen as the pillar of success. It is still regarded as Honda’s magnus opus by many and it fetches a high resale value.

And it’s not the fact that it was, at one time, the fastest motorcycle that makes the CBR1100XX Super Blackbird special. Truth be told, The Super Blackbird wasn’t the fastest in the world for long, as it was soon surpassed in this regard by the Kawasaki ZX-12R and the Kawasaki Hayabusa. Still, the Honda’s torpedo arguably holds a more special place in the heart of the serious motorcycle enthusiast than its Kawasaki counterparts.

Motor

It’s not rare to hear of a Super Blackbird with the original engine that has clocked more than 100,000 kilometres and has only had a couple of oil changes. The best way to maintain the engine is by using semisynthetic oil, rather than synthetic oil.

Tensor Distribution

If there is one weak point with the CBR1100XX, it might just be the distribution chain tensioner – although, the later models from the early 2000s were improved in this aspect. For this reason, a lot of problems with this bike are erroneously attributed to the carburettors and the throttle bodies.

Shocks

The stock shocks with the Super Blackbird start to go after the first 25,000 kilometres. When replacing the shocks, one trick to make the bike even more agile and give it extra height is to use a spacer to lengthen the shocks some 6mm.

Forks

The forks are a slight weak spot with the CBR1100XX and seem to be a little mismatched with such a powerful motor. This defect can be remedied by using the SAE oil that Honda recommends and adjusting the height of the air chamber.

Exhaust

You’re unlikely to see a Super Blackbird that doesn’t come with its original exhaust system. When it’s running smoothly, this bike has almost no vibration at all, and this is in large part due to the fact that the original parts are impeccably balanced.

It’d be the biker’s dream to get a hold of this beauty.